Thread: One for the sparkies

Originally Posted by BradC

My grandfathers house had fixed tombstones and that was built in about 1954. You'll find that fixed tombstones are designed to push back for just that reason. In fact the fitting was built into the plaster "ceiling rose" rather than a replaceable device.

Hello Brad,

Okay, that date would fit in well with my house. It is an old Queenslander. We have owned it since 1993 and the batten light was well and truly worn in before we came along. Yes, "tombstone" is a very accurate description of the shape of the ends that hold the tube pins.

Just by tapping the metal that makes up the body of the light fitting you can tell that the gauge is thick and was built to last.

Kind regards
Lionel

Lionel, I believe the type of fitment described by you, predates William Gilbert.

Hello Ian,

Well not quite predating William Gilbert. Not that the following example does either... I was helping a mate who was an electrician in Warwick - Queensland, in the early 1980s. The house was an old Queenslander. When we went up into the roof we found the old gas lines and the rather fancy gas light with a glass shades and its hanging chain still up in the ceiling. As electricity came along they must have held some distrust towards it. The gas stuff was still there just in case it was needed.

Yes, I did check my house's ceiling and no such gas fittings were found. Just some remnants of the old cloth covered wires.

I was a Trades Assistant to an electrician in the early 1980s. So, last night when I went to change the tube in the lounge room fluro it struck me that the light fitting must have a significant amount of years on its clock. Yes, I have changed tubes in the light before. It is just so long an interval between changes that I forget that the light is an old timer that does not have the twist out feature.

Kind regards
Lionel